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Facts and figures on Veterans Day 2009

Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars.

Along with parades and speeches across the nation, a national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The number of black veterans in 2008. In addition, 1.1 million veterans were Hispanic; 276,000 were Asian; 160,000 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 27,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 18.3 million were non-Hispanic white. The numbers cover only those reporting a single race.

When they served

9.2 million

The number of veterans 65 and older in 2008. There were 1.9 million veterans younger than 35 last year.

7.8 million

Number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2008. Thirty-three percent of all living veterans served during this time – 1964-1975. Also, 5.2 million served during the Gulf War (from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 2.6 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.8 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 6 million in peacetime.

50,000

Number of living veterans in 2008 who served during the Vietnam Era and both Gulf War eras.

Other living veterans in 2008 who served during three wars:

• 92,000 served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Era.

Living veterans in 2008 who served during two wars:

• 740,000 served during both Gulf War eras.
• 245,000 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam Era.
• 182,000 served during both World War II and the Korean War.

Where they live

Five

Number of states with 1 million or more veterans in 2008. These states were California – 2.1 million; Florida – 1.7 million; Texas – 1.7 million; New York – 1 million; and Pennsylvania – 1 million.

Education

26%

Percent of veterans 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree in 2008.

91%

Percent of veterans 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2008.

Income

$36,779

Annual median income of veterans, in 2008 inflation-adjusted dollars.

On the job

10.4 million

Number of veterans 18 to 64 in the labor force in 2008.

Disabilities

5.5 million

Number of veterans with any type of disability in 2008.

Service-connected disability ratings

3.4 million

Number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating. Of this number, 588,000 have a rating of 70 percent or higher.

Voting

15.8 million

Number of veterans who voted in the 2008 presidential election. Seventy-one percent of veterans cast a ballot, compared with 63 percent of nonveterans.

Business owners

14.5%

Percentage of owners of firms responding to the 2002 Survey of Business Owners who were veterans. Veteran business owners comprised an estimated 3 million of the 20.5 million owners represented by survey respondents.

68%

Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were 55 and older. This compares with 31 percent of all owners of respondent firms.

7%

Percentage of veteran business owners of respondent firms who were disabled as the result of injury incurred or aggravated during active military service.

Benefits

2.9 million

Number of veterans who received compensation for service-connected disabilities as of 2008. Their compensation totaled $36.2 billion.

$84.4 billion

Total amount of federal government spending for veterans benefits programs in fiscal year 2008. Of this total, $40.2 billion went to compensation and pensions, $37.9 billion for medical programs, and the remainder to other programs, such as vocational rehabilitation and education.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.